I think Pink Day is kind of silly, who isn't aware of breast cancer? But, if they're going to have a dress up day then they should let students wear what they want as long as it doesn't pose a risk to themselves or others.

My mother died of breast cancer in 1989, four days after the birth of my twins. I think of her every day. It's been heartbreaking for me as I know she so would have enjoyed watching her grandchildren grow into such lovely adults. My husband, a radiologist specializing in mammography, wears a pink tie and encourages all his employees, techs, nurses etc. to wear pink during the month of october. Some of them show up in some outrageous outfits. He doesn't do it just as a reminder that October is breast cancer awareness month but in memory of all the moms, sisters, wives and aunts who've lost teir lives to this terrible disease.

I'm so saddened by the news that a school couldn't find their way to understanding this young man's grief. I've often wondered what has happened to our collective sense of compassion in this country. This small occurrence seems to sum up the state of our country today.

The article says that students and staff were "given the option" to wear jeans and a pink shirt - that makes me wonder if it's usually a uniform school, and they were waiving the uniform only for participants in the day.

Still silly, but makes the school's position make a little bit more sense.

I won't blame the kid, because, sheesh, his mom, that's terrible, but the whole breast cancer awareness thing has gotten way over the top.

Actually I don't see it as punishment. I think they were being compassionate. A young man so distraught over the death of his mother that he would dress this way is not going to be doing any real learning. And neither will the other kids in his class. It kind of reminds me of the roadside memorials for crash victims. If someone chokes to death on steak at their local Texas Roadhouse, we don't let the bereaved set up a permanent memorial at "table #9"

I recommend that everyone watch the Pink Ribbons, Inc. documentary and understand how a noble cause was hijacked and debased.

"Pink Ribbons, Inc. is a feature documentary that shows how the devastating reality of breast cancer, which marketing experts have labeled a "dream cause," has been hijacked by a shiny, pink story of success."

think they were being compassionate. A young man so distraught over the death of his mother that he would dress this way is not going to be doing any real learning. And neither will the other kids in his class.

Not even the death of one of your parents due to cancer can quell the righteous indignation of bureaucratic enforcement of what they deem is a violation of dress code policies. Who do you think you are to represent cancer awareness, citizen? Leave that to us, we know what's best for you, prol.

I've thought 'American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America' is insightful and this school action would seem consistent with the Appalachian cultural attitude hypothesized to be dominant above the El Norte part of Texas; this would include an expectation of a certain masculine stoical reserve and irony.

I'm fully on board with Ann's 'lost Obama' post. This may be in part the Midwestern immigrant farmer mentality. You try not to bet the farm because security is in productive capacity, and you don't like a government determined by a man for whom l'état, c'est moi as Obama demonstrates in his dissembling over Benghazi. Speaking in terms of regional values, the Mormons, who arose from Illinois, seem to reflect the farmer's economic values.